Rock Guitar Lesson 1

here you'll learn about and do:

Positioning the guitar

Take the instrument as shown in the picture

Sitting position	Standing position

To sit is easier while playing but standing guitarist looks more impressive and has more freedom,

he can jump, run around the stage, lean.

Put your left hand on the guitar as shown

in the picture with the thumb behind the neck

If you're strongest hand is left, I wouldn't recommend you to inverse your instrument

as do most of left-hander guitarists. Because the left hand is the main hand in guitar playing,

so if you're a left-hander it's even easier for you to play guitar without any changes.

(I'm personally a left-hander)

Place the tap of your 1^st finger on 5^th fretof the 1^st string and 3^rd finger on the 8^thfret of the same string.

Fretting hand placement

Important stuff:

If it's really difficult for you to reach 8^th fret with 3^rd finger while 1^st finger stays

on 5^th fret and it causes a pain in the hand use your 4^th (little finger) instead of 3^rd

here and later on, where you feel you can't reach the fret I meant with your 3^rd finger.

I'm trying not to use little finger because of its weakness and less reliability.

Note: always push the string with your tap, not the side of your finger.

Tip: try to push the string on fingerboards very close to the right metal fret.

This helps fingers to navigate around the neck.

Motion 1 - Pull Off

In guitar tabs PULL OFF can be marked as P.O. symbol with legato sign

or just by arc denotation.

In simple tablatures made in notepad the bend looks like "p" symbol:

1-----------------------
2-----------10p8--------
3-----------------------
4-----------------------
5-----------------------
6-----------------------

Take off your 3^rd finger out of string (about 1centimetre hight) but 1^st finger still stays on the 5^th fret.

In time of taking your 3^rd finger off make the string sound. (left hand isn't used in this exercise.)

You should achieve smooth clean sound.

Watch Video

Optionally you can put (no pressure necessary) the right hand across the strings as shown in the picture in order to prevent undesirable noise while in playing participates just the left hand.

It looks unusual.

The right hand only softly touches across

all the strings around first fret.

Motion 2 - Hammer On

In guitar tabs HAMMER ON usually has been marked as H.O. symbols

with legato sign or just by arc denotation just like pull off.

In simple tablatures the bend denotation looks like "h" symbol:

1-----------------------
2-----------3h5---------
3-----------------------
4-----------------------
5-----------------------
6-----------------------

Tap your 3^rd finger enough strong at 8^th fret and make it sound clean.

Try to do the same exercise on the other strings and different frets.

Watch video

Tip:

while playing warming up exercises you might turn distortion effect off it helps to hear

exactly what's going on under the fingers.

When you play guitar try to mute unused at that moment strings in order to prevent undesirable noise.

For instance: if you play on 2^nd string or lower,

keep your first finger in the way that it slightly turned to the next string

and gently touch it with the side of the finger. See the picture.

Combining both motions together

Now play Motion 1 and after Motion. Play again Motion 1 and 2, slowly, easily, and with pleasure.

Make a loop of both motions and play ''infinite'' sound using only your left hand.

Do it very accurate both motions with the same time and volume.

I know for a first times it seems extremely hard to keep in head all these things I sad.

Remember it's just for a while, control will be gained with a practice and everything

will go out automatically with no difficulties.

No Fears.

Play along with metronome or rhythm machine.

When you feel you play it accurate and clean, a little increase your speed step by step.

Caution! do not try to play fast from the beginning it can injure ligaments and muscles!

And if you begin to feel pain in the hand stop playing and take a break for 5-10 min.

Remember the playing should be fun, no pain.

Listen and watch here what you are about to produce

From here I'll use guitar tabs to show you the notes to play.

All you have to know for now is that 6 lines represent the strings, the upper line is 1^st string,

the lower is 6^th string.

Numbers on the lines are the frets on your guitar.

Number 1 associated with 1^st fret, 2 with 2^nd and etc...

Numbers that located over the lines on the top mean which finger of the left hand is used

in playing particular note.

Play following exercises.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Watch video example of pull off and hammer on exercises

You can now play the same patterns on different frets, also try to loop the patterns,

connect one with other, look for interesting phrases, improvise.

Watch video

Rationally use moves and minimize them when go from string to string and running around the frets.

While playing slowly try to move from note to note instantly.

Shorter your road faster you go.

If you feel you're doing well and ready for something new.

I'll show you how to utilize what we've already studied here in the guitar solo

Playing First Solo

Watch video example of the solo

Now download minus one rock mp3 track Click here to download

to play the solo with accompaniment.

First half of the solo I play this lick

On second half I begin to improvise

that means I do not have a concrete sequence of notes or tab to play,

I create patterns in “live mode” it comes on my mind while I'm playing.

The easiest way to start improvising is to master the licks I gave you

in the exercises, after play them along with the track, begin first playing

different combinations of the licks, later play the licks in your own style,

experiment with speed, pauses, phrasing, trying different notes,

and sequences of notes. All that sounds fitting is good.

After some time you'll develop your own improvisational style.

Rock Improvisation Phrases

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